Delhi is designed for rape

It will require a change in the DNA and design of the city for a reduction in the number of rapes in Delhi. Addressing the structural problems of Delhi is a critical component of improving the situation, argues
Jacob John.

There is justifiable public anger against the rape of a para medical student in Delhi. While she lost her battle for her life in Singapore, there are countless calls for the perpetrators to be hanged, with two of the accused even saying that they should be hanged given they had done such a heinous crime.

Others feel that greater conviction rates will certainly help to bring down the cases of rape in the national capital. Public and visible punishment are the key elements of this strategy. However, what makes Delhi the rape capital with the total number of cases at 572 far exceeding other cities of comparable size like Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai?
Is there a structural difference in the city, due to its heavy motorization that makes it congenial to be a city where rape is common?

At the outset, Id like to clarify that I am not arguing that we do not need an overhaul of the criminal justice system. The low conviction rates do require better investigation practices that result in higher convictions, a much greater sensitisation of police to move away from the mindset to compromise rather than register a case as well as the apathy of the general public to cases of rape. There is also the need for better policing and law enforcement at the neighbourhood level and possibly greater visibility of the police force in strength during the evenings and the nights. Significant changes in the patriarchal mindsets of people are also required. However, that is not the focus of this article.

Many of my women friends in Kolkata and Mumbai say that they feel reasonably safe even after 9pm in the city. On the other hand, women in Delhi feel distinctly unsafe after sunset. The first time that I visited Delhi in 2003, I got a sense why as a city it is designed to be unsafe. There were wide roads with cars zipping by at a rapid clip, large areas where there were practically no pedestrians and even larger areas which were poorly lit. The city had excellent infrastructure for motor cars, but was equally remarkable for having poor infrastructure for pedestrians and those using public transport. At the risk of sounding provocative, Delhi has set up the infrastructure for rape with the emphasis on private transport and motorisation.

Wide roads are not a problem per se. But, the result of the policy to have wide roads in Delhi has resulted in the greatest ownership of motor cars when compared to any of the other metros. In fact, the ownership of cars in Delhi is almost double that of the next comparable city (Bengaluru). It is also more heavily motorised than Mumbai and Kolkata which are comparable population wise.

Some could argue that heavily motorised cities in the US with less public transport are safer than Delhi. In a context where every nearly every person drives a car the number of crimes against women could be lower, as people do not need common public spaces to be safe except around their home and their work place. However, when public transport is a key for mobility of many people, safe public spaces become critical for accessing public transport.

When Delhi (or for that matter, any city) starts designing its roads and public spaces for old people, young children and women pedestrians, it will automatically witness a drop in crime.

Delhi is in the position where while a large number of people do own cars, and yet a substantial number use public transport. A commuter need to walk to a point to get public transport, use it and then walk from the point where the vehicle has dropped you off.

The fewer people that use public transport, the less incentive there is to keep public spaces safe. Building wider roads and better infrastructure that facilitates private transport is likely to make Delhi even more unsafe (and ironically for those using public transport), as more and more people shift away from public transport to their own vehicles. Given the space constraints in India and the proclaimed policy of the government to move towards a public transport based system, increasing modal share of cars and bikes are not sustainable in the long run.

What is necessary in Delhi is more development: but development for people and not cars. A popular expression in Europe goes something like this A developed city is not one where poor people own cars, but where rich people take public transport to work.

With the exception of the tourist areas, Delhi in general is a pedestrian-unfriendly city. While Lutyens Delhi might be a very attractive piece of real estate, the fact that few people walk on the pavements there, along with the poor lighting lends itself to being a dangerous city. The BRT corridor which is one of the most pedestrian friendly stretches in Delhi has faced an innumerable number of obstacles in its implementation through litigation, protests by car users and others. There are flyovers all over the city of Delhi. However, if a pedestrian has to negotiate the junctions where a flyover is built, it is close to impossible as cars are whizzing past these points and at the same time, they have to walk longer distances to cross the roads there.

Through the design of the city, Delhi has reduced the number of people on the street resulting in greater possibilities of rape and other forms of crime. When Delhi (or for that matter, any city) starts designing its roads and public spaces for old people, young children and women pedestrians, it will automatically witness a drop in crime.

At another level, changes also need to be made in the way that bus contracts are given out in Delhi. Giving out contracts to an operator who has just five or ten buses, makes it possible for many 'fly-by-night' operators to set up shop. Penalties for any violations on these operators are very difficult to enforce as the operator can transfer all the assets to another company and reappear almost immediately. Establishing a minimum size of operator (say 500 buses) is also important, and ensuring that this is similar across all the regions in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Delhi will also have to create a system where more people can actually come onto the roads and come on more frequently. Encouraging street vending, having street festivals, closing off streets for neighbourhood festivals every week, encouraging activities in public spaces with women and children as the focus would all be necessary to ensure that Delhi moves to becomes safer.

It is even possible to consider interesting ways of deploying cycle rickshaws in particular areas, and deploying a citywide bicycle sharing system (for a million bicycles or more) and dedicated infrastructure for cyclists.

While law enforcement is necessary, it will require a change in the DNA and design of the city for a reduction in the number of rapes in Delhi. Addressing the structural problems of Delhi is a critical component of moving it down from being the rape capital of India.

kumar ratan
brilliant observation and good analysis by Jacob. I wish the policy makers must read this article.

January 07 2013, 5:13 AM ·
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Arun Shrivastaw
I sincerely believe the following three reasons contribute mainly for growing indecency. Lets discuss.
1. Liquor. None of the case have happened where in criminals were in senses. Lets ban liquor completely.
2. Pornography on net- Youngsters and mostly all are getting spoiled. Including social networking. There should be great check on these stuff.
3. Indecency in public by girls- A socially acceptable presentation is expected by girls including their dressing and their demonstration of physical intimacy with their partners in public.

January 13 2013, 3:18 PM ·
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Irfan Mulla
Yet another dimension to the ongoing national and international discussion on rapes in India By the author. Rape has been a shameless act on the women fraternity but equally important and responsible has been our so called judicial system, commitment of Police in preparing charge sheets and money earning Lawyers who are very much interested in proving a case of rapist/murderer so that their crimes do not get punished. Unless and until the fear of Law, Police and people of the country is upheld, we may be able to overcome any crime. Nonetheless, the morality and apathy towards human beings is diminishing day by day! The reasons for crimes and response as being debated should lead us to some conclusive action plans but whether the decision makers and all parties facing this will arrive at some agreement? The crimes in any form are bad in society but what society needs is to take positive actions in the long terms. If each family strives for the better conduct of their wards, each school imparts moral education, each policeman becomes a fear to reckon with, each lawyer becomes a lawyer in true sense instead of lair, each judge becomes a decision maker with strong conviction rates, then I think the war against all sorts of crimes may be well begun.

January 15 2013, 9:15 AM ·
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Premsukh
If India wasn't such a sexually repressed society , that would help a lot . The stupidity of a Stagnant old religion that preaches against enjoyment sex , is one of the roots of sexual violence and perversion. People who are relaxed with their natural flow are less likely to want to hurt others. Teach kids to enjoy that realm, respect themselves and each other with it.

January 24 2013, 6:51 AM ·
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Param
I think the author is very bothered with the Infra of Delhi that he is trying to bring solace by clubbing the recent atrocity with the infra of Delhi. How would the author answer for groping done on broad daylight with hundreds of others nearby during the protests recently done in delhi - against the very same rape attack. Those girls were not alone nor were there in poorly lit roads. But gropers did thier job and were long gone. So, in my view even if you have clearly lit roads and few other pedestrians - these cannot confront the nefarious deeds being done by few retards. Instead of wasting our time on trivial causes, please introspect, why in India's capital the sex ratio is 866 for 1000 males(Why selective abortion - even though law banned it long!!!), what values would we impart to our children if we as parents throw away a girl for want of boy, what values do our society teach - should we not respect others way of life(in this case a girls life), should we not care for others even if they are not urs. Only when the societies view/ethics change, can we see usefullness of law, policing.

January 30 2013, 7:03 AM ·
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subhadra iyengar
this is all too much. yes it is there that lot of wrong things have been taking place, and especially against women. But does not mean that we ahould pharse it as this.

May 07 2013, 5:46 AM ·
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